Physical Address
Indirizzo: Via Mario Greco 60, Buttigliera Alta, 10090, Torino, Italy
Türkiye’s cultural diplomacy has become one of its most compelling forms of soft power, drawing growing interest from audiences abroad. In Paris, this interest is especially visible as French and Turkish artists, scholars and institutions increasingly collaborate on shared cultural projects. I came to Paris to witness these new points of connection firsthand and to see how the two countries are shaping a richer cultural dialogue together.
There is something unmistakably special about Paris at this time of year, an atmosphere where culture sharpens, conversations deepen and the city seems to breathe in slower, more attentive rhythms. Over the past week, I found myself at three events that captured exactly this feeling: the launch of the Turkish Art Platform hosted by the Yunus Emre Institute (YEE), the unveiling of the Oylum Höyük podcast and the vibrant pulse of Photo Paris 2025. If you’re ready, let’s begin.
YEE introduces Turkish Art Platform
At the Yunus Emre Institute’s Paris center, a new initiative quietly but powerfully took root: the Turkish Art Platform, a project designed to bring together artists, researchers and academics who are devoted to Turkish art in all its forms. The launch gathered YEE Deputy President Bilgin Özmen, YEE Head of Turkish Culture and Arts Ömür Karslı, YEE Paris Director Dudu Keleş, alongside a wide range of artists, scholars and cultural figures. In his opening remarks, Özmen emphasized that the platform aims to contribute directly to YEE’s core mission of cultural diplomacy.
Through exhibitions, talks, workshops and interdisciplinary collaborations, the initiative hopes to forge meaningful cultural exchanges and expand the visibility of Turkish art in Europe. But what struck me most was not the official language of the program; it was the spirit behind it.
In addition to the engaging discussions, professor Alpagut presented a talk titled “Füreya: The Echo of Turkish Ceramics in Paris,” highlighting Füreya Koral, the first female ceramic artist of the Turkish Republic, who drew significant attention with her inaugural exhibition in Paris in 1951.
This wasn’t just a launch; it felt like a cultural bridge stretching from Istanbul to Paris. A space where painting, photography, sculpture, music and digital arts could coexist and speak to one another. A space open not only to Turkish artists, but also to French scholars and international researchers who have long been curious about Türkiye’s artistic landscape.
Archaeological story reimagined
There is a unique thrill in witnessing your own cultural heritage find a home in unexpected places. In Paris this week, that joy came through the launch of the “Yenilenme Tepesi” (“Hill of Renewal”) podcast, an ambitious 20-episode series centered on Oylum Höyük, one of the oldest settlements in present-day Türkiye.
Created in both French and Turkish by Micro-sillons with post-production support from Yunus Emre Institute, the podcast aims to reach audiences across borders, blending archaeology with storytelling in a way that feels both modern and deeply rooted.
The international launch of the series had taken place earlier in Cappadocia during the Council of Europe’s Cultural Routes Advisory Forum. But the Paris edition carried a special resonance: a room filled with academics, project leaders, and curious listeners engaging with an ancient Anatolian site through sound.
What impressed me most was the multidimensional approach of the series. The podcast brings together archaeologists, gastronomy experts, botanists, artisans, and cultural heritage specialists; names like professor Atilla Engin, professor Cecile Michel, Zeynep Delen Nircan and professor Alice Mouton. Their perspectives interlace like tiles in a mosaic. Oylum Höyük becomes not just a dig site, but a living archive. We hear about Bronze Age grape and olive remnants, the wisdom of regional craftsmen, local agricultural stories and practices of cultural sustainability. The result is something rare: a podcast that transforms archaeology into a vibrant cultural journey, bridging the past and the present with remarkable intimacy.
Highlights from Photo Paris 2025
This year’s Photo Paris was, as always, a celebration of icons Walker Evans, Berenice Abbott, Sally Mann and Hiroshi Sugimoto. Yet I found myself gravitating toward the Turkish galleries, whose collective energy made a bold statement: “We are here and our visual language is universal.” Dirimart, Galeri Nev and Heft Gallery stood out not simply for their curation but for the clarity and confidence of their artistic voice.
Heft Gallery’s presentation of Alkan Avcıoğlu was one of the fair’s most talked-about moments. His works carried that rare quality of striking straight to the viewer’s center, a visceral honesty. Dirimart’s showcase of Cihan Öncü’s “The Source” was unforgettable. Conceptually intricate yet technically precise, it felt like a contemporary ritual, inviting viewers to confront their own internal terrain. And in the mid of global photography legends, Galeri Nev’s thoughtful selection reminded visitors that Turkish art has deep roots but continues to reinvent itself with nuance and modernity. What I loved most about this year’s fair was the unmistakable sense that Turkish photographers and galleries are no longer merely represented; they are truly present on the world stage.
Under the Paris lights, their work didn’t just shine; it claimed space.
